– I have no “naval” blood in my family, that I can remember. My father served as a Marine, my brother in the Army, but somehow in the tumult of this time it occurs to me that we could all use the voice of that classic inner naval commander who calculates the course ahead, notes the winds and tides and impending storms, and finds a way to a stable lane, calmly calling out, “Steady as she goes!”
We all need that stable lane…that place of secure and solid knowing that holds us firmly in our better selves, even as the headlines shout the disasters of the day. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to wake in the morning with a steadfast heart and a mind at ease? Wouldn’t it be amazing to be the person in the office or in the garden who knows, at least for a day or two, or even a week (!) how to show up, what to attend to and what to let go of for now?
Pema Chodron once wrote: “The most enlightened, calm, and wise people seem to be able to view the world’s chaos as weather patterns.” Thank you to her for that larger point of view.
Louisa May Alcott, in Little Women, offered: “She wasn’t afraid of the storm, for she knew how to sail her ship.” We are building our resilience against every rising wave.
Willa Cather reminds us: “There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.” Arggh and true.
And finally, John Muir, encouraging us to remember that storms are part of the natural cycle of our organic living: “This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor is ever rising.”
Perhaps with their perspectives we might take a moment today to remind ourselves that within ourselves is the possibility of that steady compass heading; that the storms of the moment will eventually pass; and that we as we learn to sail forward bring to others the option of doing so as well.
3 notions abound in the field of resilience and positive psychology to enable that clear, grounded knowing:
1. When agitated, pause long enough to become wise. Quieting the mind and the heart gives us the best chance of choosing a better next step, a more constructive next sentence, and a wiser heading.
2. When tired, rest. No good comes from pushing beyond our limits and now, more than ever, recovery matters. We need respite to fight the fights that are meaningful, to build creative solutions when all is swirling about, and to secure the physical energy we each need to remain in a state of health.
3. Track the Good. Hang with those who lift you. Savor the best moments of the day. Practice gratitude. Seek beauty in all its forms. Build in delight and play and joy. Refuel with laughter. Notice generosity and keep it flowing. Double down on meaning. The good is everywhere – within us and around us – and as we increase our daily dose of the positive, we find within us that indomitable force that holds the line.
I don’t know anyone who isn’t fighting a powerful fight in some way at this time, internally or out there in this vast, complicated world. As we find our way to steady, or steadier, we do come to know our strengths, but also our ability to be facing these oceanic waves and craft our living anyway.
Steady, ho my friends. Steady ho.
Love, Maria
